February 10, 2011

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Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is backing away from comments he made Thursday calling Egypt's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood movement "largely secular."

"To clarify Director Clapper’s point - in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood makes efforts to work through a political system that has been, under Mubarak’s rule, one that is largely secular in its orientation," a spokesman for Clapper, Jamie Smith, said Thursday afternoon. "He is well aware that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a secular organization."

At a House Intelligence Committee hearing earlier in the day, Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) questioned Clapper about the threat posed by the group. Clapper replied by suggesting that the Egyptian part of the Brotherhood is not particularly extreme and that the broader international movement is hard to generalize about.

"The term 'Muslim Brotherhood'...is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried Al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam," Clapper said. "They have pursued social ends, a betterment of the political order in Egypt, et cetera.....In other countries, there are also chapters or franchises of the Muslim Brotherhood, but there is no overarching agenda, particularly in pursuit of violence, at least internationally."

The Brotherhood uses the slogan, "Islam is the answer," and generally advocates for government in accordance with Islamic principles. The movement has as a broad goal unifying what it perceives as Muslim lands, from Spain to Indonesia, as a "caliphate."

Myrick interrupted Clapper at one point, saying her concern isn't simply with the violence but with the Brotherhood's beliefs regarding government.

"The danger of the Muslim Brotherhood is not just encouraging terrorism through their ideology, but also trying to take over government, so everyone has to succumb and live under their ideology," Myrick said.

Clapper said later in the hearing that the Brotherhood in Egypt runs 29 hospitals "not under the guise of an extremist agenda." He said the group fills a vacuum caused by the absence of government services, but added, "It is not necessarily with a view to promoting violence or overthrow of the state."

FBI Director Robert Mueller said some branches of the Brotherhood have engaged in violence, but he declined to go into detail in a public session. "Obviously, elements of the Muslim Brotherhood here and overseas have supported terrorism," he said.

Hamas, which is designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group but also runs the elected government in the Gaza strip, is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. prosecutors have also produced evidence that some Islamic organizations in America, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America and the North American Islamic Trust, grew out of the Brotherhood.

UPDATE: This post has been updated with the clarification from the DNI's office.

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I'm watching MSNBC right now, and Richard Engel, NBC chief foreign reporter, from Egypt said, in response to hearing this quote, the MB is emphatically not secular and that this was "a wild mis-reading of this organization."

That's curious because secular is not what that organization defines itself as. They claim it is an Islamic group.
Why does this administration feel they need to BS us instead of just telling the facts.

James Clapper is obviously either: 1) an idiot, 2) senile, or, 3) purposefully and willlfully lying. The Muslim Brotherhood's charter describes its goal as the re-establishment of the Islamic Caliphate - an empire stretching from Spain to Indonesia. Its charter describes “dying in the way of Allah” as the group’s highest hope. Its most infamous alumnus is Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the number two leader of Al Qaida. They are the founders of Hamas, a terrorist organization and the sponsers of indescriminate violence against Israel out of Gaza. The Brotherhood's members were also involved in the assassination of Anwar El Sadat. Non-violent? Are you crazy???

Clapper is the imbecile who sat silent after Diane Sawyer asked him about the aborted London terror attacks. She said: "I am a little surprised you didn't kinow about London". He replied..."No, I'm sorry I didn't"!
WHY DOES THIS IMBECILE STILL HAVE A JOB????

Posted By: Clapper is the imbecile who sat silent after Diane Sawyer asked him about the aborted London terror | February 10, 2011 at 02:17 PM

@ Citizen Soldier:
I think the point is that the Klapper comment was just reported over wires minutes after it was made on Politico, the reason being that iit is so inaccurate and ignorant -- another huge & obvious flub by Clapper. Obvious, that is, to anyome who has paid even the briefest attention to Middle Eastern news since 9/11.
The Politico report was an instant update and you and other commenters (myself included) recognize the immediate stupidity of comment. Hopefully most who go to Politico for news source are also cognizant of Clapper's most wrong-headed statement.

Posted By: @ Citizen Soldier:
I think the point is that the Klapper comment was just reported over wires minut | February 10, 2011 at 02:19 PM

"It is not necessarily with a view to promoting violence or overthrow of the state." Clapper, the word "necessarily" used in that sentence is the same as saying "It could be with a view to promoting violence or overthrow of the state".
Glass half full or glass have empty.

Muslim Brotherhood is non radical and secular? Is he kidding?
Clapper is a an idiot in grand fashion, and he is an Obama underling. Oh Well, birds of a feather...
Clapper is a demonstrative idiot, with the IQ of a rock, as is Obama.
At this rate the U.S. will not survive beyond the end of 2011, never mind the '12 elections.

Clapper is the same guy WHO DID NOT KNOW that the British had arrested an entire cell of terrorists-it had been in the news all day and when he was asked about it at the end of the day, he drew a complete blank-just a zero. No, just a STUPID zero. Muslim Brotherhood has spawnd some of the worst terrorsim in our history, and to say now that they are not necessarily violent is moronic.A better question, though, is why guys like this are being asked to serve at Obama's pleasure. Whole Administration has to go.

"in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone."
I don't believe Clapper underestimates the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood; so why did he make such absurd and flawed comments.
Don't give them or Clapper a microphone.

Director of National Intel? Heaven help us - he has his head up his ***. This is understandable. This is the same guy who knew nothing about the December 2010 plot in Britain to take down a US-bound jetliner. You can’t expect the head of national INTELLIGENCE to know the ins and outs of a group named after an extremist.

The MB declared war on the US just lat year. Why is this not being reported?
The Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Badi, who was elected only months ago, has "endorsed anti-American Jihad and pretty much every element in the al-Qaida ideology book," The Brotherhood – the dominant Islamic organization in the West that has spawned most of the major Muslim terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, along with the largest "mainstream" organizations – is giving the signal that it is "ready to move from the era of propaganda and base-building to one of revolutionary action," says Rubin.
In a sermon published Sept. 30 titled "How Islam Confronts the Oppression and Tyranny against the Muslims," Badi said waging jihad against both Israel and the United States is a commandment of Allah that cannot be disregarded.
.
Governments trying to stop Muslims from fighting the U.S., he said, "are disregarding Allah's commandment to wage jihad for His sake with their money and their lives, so that Allah's word will reign supreme" over all non-Muslims.

Extraordinary testimony by Mr. Clapper. Our government is in the hands of individuals who are so far out of their depth as to be laughable if it were not so sad. What has he read of the Qu'ran, the Hadith and the Sirat? Of the writings of Hasan al-Bana and the views of its current spiritual mentor Yusef Al-Quaradawi? Of the daily utterances of its branch in Gaza? Or is he, like so many in the media and our government, seduced by warm fuzzy reassurances put out for western consumption in English like the Op-Ed piece by Esam El-Errian in today's NY? Times? Is there anyone in Langley or Foggy Bottom with their head screwed on?

The Everest-sized obstacle to the US 's acceptance of the MB or Ikhwan's legitimacy remains its rejection to this day of the Camp David Accords. As noted above, other long-standing MB positions based on religious rather than political beliefs are significant speed bumps, as in Muslim Brotherhood’s intolerant policies toward the Coptic Christians, women’s rights, its application of shari’a in a constitutional context and which school of shari’a thought might prevail.
CAIR & ISNA & NAIT are all fringe organizations largely financed by unknown and perhaps terrorist sources.
And as for the MB in Egypt, what about international conventions Egypt has signed concerning racial discrimination 1967, discrimination against women 1981, civil and political rights 1982, economic, social and cultural rights 1982, elimination of torture and other cruel and degrading treatment 1986, rights of the child 1990. Of course, the current Mubarak regime often fails to observe many of these conventions, but the MB would be examined much more closely, perhaps, for infractions than Mubarak.
In the words of an old British saw, accepting the Ikhwan would be like swallowing a camel while rejecting Mubarak might be straining at a gnat.

Visionclear is wrong about the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Hamas and Al Qaeda are both deeply critical of the Muslim Brotherhood - not because they are "secular" but because their charter is one of non-violence. Case in point: the Syrian government not just tolerates, but hosts and sponsors Hamas and Hezbollah, yet the Muslim Brotherhood is banned. That is not to say we should all embrace the Muslim Brotherhood (a religious/political movement) but it's a mistake to lump them in with other political groups in the ME.

Yes, I absolutely hate those people who try to push a religious agenda onto a government. Next thing they're going to try and do is push for having their judicial systems based on ancient religious texts like the ten commandments or rejecting a woman's right to make their own decisions, like on abortion. I just hate those religious groups.

His comment was just one tangible example of how much in the dark and in disarray our intelligence community and Administration is on the whole Egypt issue right now--with the capper being the 12 to 6 curve ball that Mubarak just threw, freezing U.S. journalists, intelligence officials, the President and his Administration at the plate.

Nothing says secular like belonging to a group dedicated to restoring the Caliphate and whose motto is "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/mb.htm
Is Clapper completely ignorant, purposely lying to protect the parent organization of Al Qaeda?

Thank you, Mr. Clapper ... and the For Hood Massacre was secular as well !? Your whole administration should wake up and face the realism of how dangerous and global jihad is. Let's stop the apologies and get realistic ... NOW!

Clapper is ignorant, as well as being a lying sack of excrement. The Muslim Brotherhood is anything but secular, identifying themselves first and foremost with Islam and Shariah law. The attempt to "clarify" his point is a lame lie, too.

Gawd, if even Richard Engel, not an enemy of the Obamaniacs, says Clapper is off base, then the guy should get a ticket to Poughkeepsie or Peoria with a golden parachute.
Wasn't Clapper the doofus who didn't know about a recent terrorist incident until everyone else with a pulse found out about it? He's dropsical.

The "clarification" of Clapper's remarks still doesn't justify this guy keeping his job. He should have been fired.
And, CIA director Leon Panetta quoted press reports as saying Mubarak would probably step down.
Hello? Is anybody home in the American civilian intelligence community? Does anyone have a clue as to what's happening or could happen in Egypt?

Posted By: The "clarification" of Clapper's remarks still doesn't justify this guy keeping his job. He should | February 10, 2011 at 06:43 PM

Good Grief he's out of touch...This is Americas brightest?... SECOND time he becomes a sound bite.....We are doomed....The MB has NEVER been FOR democracy...EVER....Obama better get rid of this idiot or is he a crony of a politician?....We deserve better than a coverup.

obama's socialist shadow government is major source of dis information in the west. they work on premise that the bigger the lie the easier the sell. mubarak's regime simply ignored the black bigot used the media. Now the bombster has to watch cable news, just like you.
suibne

Clapper is a buffoon and a joke! How can he hold that office & be so
ignorant!? Our country is being over
run by Muslim radicals & Clapper is off in lala land! The brotherhood is a radical .group that lies about their true intentions ! They are blood-thirsty supremacist that want to take over our country and force
their perverted SHARIA Law on us!
Clapper must go ! A petition MUST be started to get rid of this
moron!!! The safety of our Nation is at stake!!!

Gee who could have EVER PREDICTED that a "community organizer" whose claim to fame was his ACORN seminars and his cadre of Leftist limousine "revolutionaries" would have no freaking clue about the realities of foreign policy and diplomacy?
Boy never saw that coming. It is inconceivable that we have gotten to this point where such a unquailified man and his equally unqualified friends were elected to lead this country?
Just what the hades were you idiots thinking? And to think POLITICO lead the charge to get these idiots elected? IDIOTS.

Just another, the system worked, dodging bullets across the tarmac, all 57 states, and three branches of government, Congress, Senate and the President moment. Liberals live by Obamas words, "too much information is dangerous.

They have some real doozies in all Branches of Government...unreal...it's a nightmare.....they don't even know what is going on in a country they can go in and out....less in a country where they have limited access...if they don't even know what is going on in Egypt a country is open to the world...what are they doing all day..drooling and sleeping at their desk....and getting their paycheck once per month....??? embarrassing...he meant every word he said about the brotherhood......

I suggest people go to the websites for the Moslem Brotherhood in English which are TOTALLY RELIGIOUS, ANTI-CHRISTIAN, ANTI-SEMITIC, ANTI-BUDDIST, ETC. HATEFUL RANTS OF INSANITY AND ANTI-SCIENCE! Dr. Klapper is comin' up a crapper!

retreats from claim...ha ha ha.....unreal....if we can't count on what comes out of his mouth? then he shouldn't be there....He needs to be fired...the buck stops by Obama...appointing people that don't know tit from tat....and when are we seeing this trade aggreement between Panama and the US thats now 7 years in the making signed and delivered????? Throw the whole lot out of Washington....

Obamey and everybody around him are complete IDIOTS. They should keep their stupid mouths shut.If this had been Bush, the Obamey media would have had a cow including the betrayal of the UK.The whole bunch is a disgrace not much better than Mexico.

Of course it's not secular. It's called the MUSLIM Brotherhood. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they're malevolent. I don't have any reason to distrust them any more than I do the Catholic League. Americans need to get over this 'Islam = bad' mindset if we're going to progress as human beings.

As the aged Mubarak falls out of Netanyahu’s comfortable bed, with its $1.3 billion American blanket, the slender Omar Suleiman teeters up in his stiletto heels, anxious to take up the offer to sleep with the Israeli prime minister who desperately needs someone to cuddle during the dark nights of revolution now sweeping through his region of the Middle East.
Binyamin Netanyahu has never been used to sleeping alone and during these long nights is comforted by the thought that a United States president is always at the end of the line to promise eternal love and tanks from the American people. Ordinary men and women who are willing to sacrifice jobs and medicare to ensure that both he and the Likud party are always able to sleep secure in the knowledge that the United States and Israel are blood brothers with identical wants, needs, resources, peoples, friends and enemies.
Or is that just a dream? The Prime Minister is never entirely sure and that’s why he needs reassurance in the small hours when he wakes hot and sweating. But the hand of Omar looks to be the one that will now hold him close to kiss his brow.
Isn’t love just wonderful?
________________________________________

PETER PRINCIPLE will be Obummer's legacy.
it would not surprise me at all if dni staff has islamic infil+TRAITORS writing his talking points.
The Muslims are at level 2 of 5 in taking over america: 1. establish trust & rapport; 2. furtively infiltrate fed gov't.
5. SHARIA LAW!!!
LOOK IT UP YOURSELF!!
&&

Clapper the Clueless. What is with this guy? I know he was choice number two or three for this job, but this is the best we could do??
It appears he approaches his job as one of administration only, and he need not actually know any intelligence.

Can this man read and is he living in the present time in this world? The muslims make no bones about thier agenda for the world, yet we have wishful thinkers like this in positions of pawer making potential life and death decisions for this country. It boggles the mind of rational people.

Can this man read and is he living in the present time in this world? The muslims make no bones about thier agenda for the world, yet we have wishful thinkers like this in positions of pawer making potential life and death decisions for this country. It boggles the mind of rational people.

This column does not present any evidence that the MB is anything more than any other religious organization with a political agenda. It does not have any evidence that the organization is violent. Meuller would not make any public statement to that effect, because he did not want to be challenged to back it up. Myrick is presuming the Islam is in and of itself violent - this is pure Islamophobia and should be repudiated as just another form of anti-Semitism.

Glenn Beck, the only person who really knows the future before it even happens, has already told us that the Muslim Brotherhood is going to take over the world with thteir great friends and allies the atheist communists and American liberals. So there.

Not the first time Clapper has been in the crapper. Couple weeks ago at a congressional hearing he did not even know there was a major terrorist threat in Europe that had the the intelligence services there wetting their adult diapers for a few days.
Amateur hour at the white house started on day one, and is now into year three. One thing for sure, we can never depend on the liberal press "corpse" Obama sycophants to report on the boy wonder's fumbling the ball on a daily basis.

Posted By: Not the first time Clapper has been in the crapper. Couple weeks ago at a congressional hearing he | February 12, 2011 at 04:51 AM

Egyptians esp, government or business do not look like they really want anything Secular outside their ordinary everyday management. Secularism is outside of the Democratic purposeful freedom venues. Setting aside Secular days of objectivity limit days for Democratic freedom which isn't a observable event anymore with exception to voting being a event. If people rather not control their freedom they do not look towards a secular movement to provide this answer so no The Muslim Brotherhood will be ignored by many that do not want to participate in the group activities. It is bad for tourism, bad for economic development, and equally bad for a culture that wants democratic rights for all, how could that flow into a movement that is a closed mainly secret movement. The Muslim Brotherhood maintain a steady work habit in Iran so why are they not doing that in Egypt and merely using Egypt as a gathering center? In competition with other Islamic secular considerations and now all democratic considerations. There may still be communist trying to influence public opinion but on a smaller scale.

Clapper, like Obama, is completely dumb when it comes to The Muslim Brotherhood. These people are bent on destroying the Christian world and place their radical agenda in it's place. Obama hasn't chosen one qualified person for any post. Look at Napolitano, Holder, Sunstein and all the rest.

Posted By: Clapper, like Obama, is completely dumb when it comes to The Muslim Brotherhood. These people are be | February 12, 2011 at 10:52 AM

James Clapper also did not mention boredom of The Muslim Brotherhood. That boredom outrage makes its first debut in attempting to gain membership, once its influence has grabbed enough followers some are chosen for deeds they have long been urged in participation which is movement of slaves through the Middle East. It has never been a objection of Saudi Arabia to stop slavery, many slaves are present there and have come to enjoy their enslavement. It looks more like the children of Muslims that work for Iran's Oil/Gas pipeline are out on a venue to make themselves into what their fathers and mothers once were before they got employed in Iran. Knowing this should be enough deterrent to stop the youth in Egypt from heading down that path seeing a new Egypt before them that they have long awaited means more than what their own families have ever been accustom to as a hand me down past and that is a better future than no madden venue all over the Middle East. The FBI Director Robert Mueller don't know how to relate to The Muslim Brotherhood or slavery treatment by them. Clapper did not give House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) any outstanding proof on where slaves come from or where slaves end up so I think their entire session was a waste of taxpayer money. Dumb on slavery don't mean they should remain in a position in government esp Robert Mueller. Many Egyptians are now asking what next as a question of their future. No Democratic nation believes in slavery so that overrules all efforts of The Muslim Brotherhood's good intentions of other things such as organizing school book content, running its own newspaper or television/radio channel and yes the needed jobs of all Egyptians in oil/gas. Can't allow the control of the Suez Canal by The Muslim Brotherhood it is not democratic.